The Boys: What Does Homelander Want With Cate and Sam From Gen V?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for The Boys Season 4, Episode 5, “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son.”

The Boys Season 4’s latest entry, “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son,” features surprise cameos by two Gen V characters: Cate Dunlap and Sam Riordan. Homelander takes the rookie Supes under his wing – but what does he want with them?

Related: How to Watch The Boys and Its Spinoffs in Order

The Boys Season 4, Episode 5’s Gen V Cameos, Explained

Cate Dunlap and Sam Riordan show up late in The Boys Season 4, Episode 5, “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son.” They’re part of a wider group of Supes – A-Train, Black Noir, Sister Sage, Firecracker, the Deep, and Tek Knight – summoned to Vought Tower by Homelander. According to the evil Superman pastiche, he’s brought them all together to “save the world for [their] kids.”

Homelander adds that Cate, Sam, and his other Supe recruits will “have to do some terrible things […] for the greater good.” His vision is for those present to transition from “beloved celebrities” to “wrathful gods” at his command. It’s terrifying stuff, yet Cate and Sam both seem utterly unphased by Homelander’s proposal.

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Indeed, Sam’s only question is how the group will know when it’s time to enact Homelander’s plan. And Cate is even more on board with the Seven leader’s chilling vision. “Anything you need, Homelander,” she declares, with a fanatical gleam in her eyes. It’s not long before Cate is asked to put her money where her mouth is, either.

After the Deep enters the room with Cameron Coleman bound and gagged, Homelander identifies Coleman as the leaker selling out Vought to the Boys. He orders Cate, Sam, and the rest to execute Coleman for his treachery. They comply, beating the news anchor to death – with Cate among the first in line. It’s a brutal scene, not least of all because Sister Sage faked Coleman’s betrayal!

How Does Homelander Know Cate and Sam?

If you haven’t watched Gen V Season 1 in full, you may be wondering how Homelander knows Cate and Sam. Obviously, the Supe community is relatively small and it stands to reason that two prime candidates for the Seven would be on Homelander’s radar. So, if you’re behind on The Boys‘ college-themed spinoff, it’s not too hard to fill in the blanks.

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That said, the final episode of Gen V‘s first season actually covers Cate’s first meeting with Homelander. We see Homelander swoop to Cate’s aid in Gen V Season 1, Episode 8, “Guardians of Godolkin,” after her and Sam’s campus-wide rampage goes south. Episode 8 later confirms that Homelander (through Vought’s media machine) reframed Cate and Sam as the tragedy’s heroes.

The Boys Season 4 is currently streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes dropping Thursdays.